Heating system



June 19, 1934. H, M. DE ROCHEMONT HEATING SYSTEM 2 Sheets-Sheet -1 Filed July 2, 1930 J 19, 1934. H. M. D ROCHEMONT 1,963 01 HEATING SYSTEM Filed July 2, -1'9so 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 19, 1934 UNITED STA ES PATENT OFFICE HEATING SYSTEM Henry M. de Rochemont, Rockland, Maine Application July 2, 1930, Serial No. 465,293 9 Claims. (01. 237-19) This invention relates to heating systems in which heat may be utilized for a plurality of distinct services and has for a purpose to provide normally separate heating portions for the services, any excess heat applied to one being relieved into the other. Water for domestic use or other purposes may be heated readily from a house heating steam boiler by what is known as an indirect heater, which permits water from the steam boiler to pass about a nest of tubes through which the water to be heated is passed. Attempts to use a hot water heating boiler in the same way have not been satisfactory, however, for the reason that the water in such a boiler is com- 5 monly at too low a temperature to heat the water through an indirect heater to a satisfactory temperature. The present invention may be used to advantage in meeting the requirements of this situation, providing a system by which the domestic water may be heated to a satisfactorily high temperature from a hot water boiler and without noticeable interference with the normal house heating functions of the boiler which may be operated in the ordinary manner and with any type of fuel satisfactory for its use as a house heating system. Because the water therein is not then subject to the cooling action of the radiation system it becomes hotter than the water in the rest of the boiler. The water in this section may then be used in the indirect heater with satisfactory results. Any excess of temperature in this portion of the boiler normally not connected with the radiation system may be automatically relieved into the house heating or radiating system, and the temperature in the house may, if desired, be utilized for automatic control of the heating or combustion portion of the boiler as though the boiler were unmodified for the purposes of this invention.

For a more complete understanding of this invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of a portion of a hot water house heating system showing an application of this invention.

Figures 2 and 3 are fragmentary vertical sections through a horizontal boiler arranged according to this invention.

5 Figure 4 is a central vertical section through a vertical boiler also arranged in accordance with this invention.

Figure 5 is a vertical section to a larger scale through the thermostatically controlled relief valve. 00

Figures 6 and 7 are sections on line 6-6 and 7-7, respectively, of Figure 5.

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 7 but showing the parts adjusted for replacement of a fusible plug.

Referring first to Figure 1, at 1 is indicated a hot water heater of usual type employing a plurality of vertical sections 2 which are fixed face to face to build up the desired length of hot water boiler. At 3 is shown the usual fire door and for the purposes of illustration an oil burner is shown at 4 for producing combustion in the heating por-' tion of the boiler. It should be understood, however, that this invention is not limited to the use of any particular type of fuel since any fuel suit- 15 able for-use with such boilers as ordinarily constructed is satisfactory for the boiler equipped for this invention.

Sectional boilers of this type commonly have their sections connected together for circulation of water as illustrated in Figures 2 and 3. Referring to these figures, it will be seen that-each of the sections has openings such as 5 at its lower end and such as 6 at its upper end. Commonly there are two openings 5 in each section at the lower end toward opposite sides of the boiler and one centrally located opening 6 at the upper portion. The sections are normally connected together by the use of hollow nipples as '7 which have tapered outer faces fitting tapered openings in the boiler sections. In adapting a. boiler of this type to the present invention, however, one of the sections such as 211 herein shown as the end section, is closed off at its upper end from the adjacent section 2. This may be done by any suitable means, but as shown the nipple 7 connecting these sections, has a pair of disks 10 bolted against opposite ends thereof by means of a central bolt 11 having a nut 12 on one end.

By this means the upper portions of the sections 2 and 2a are closed against the interchange of water, the lower portions of these sections, however, still being in communication with each other.

If desired more than one section of the boiler may be cut out of the normal circulation. For example, two sections could be-cut off from the remained by positioning the closure disks on the nipple between the inner of these two sections and the remainder, all the nipples remaining open between these two sections.

All of sections 2 which are interconnected at both their upper and lower portions are included in the normal heating or radiating circulation, a

I radiator-being shown for example at 15 in Figure 1 connected by the hot water supply pipe 16 to the upper portion of a section 2 and a return pipe 17 being connected into the lower end of a section 2. Under normal conditions, therefore, the hot water from the radiating system is derived from the sections 2 of the boiler which are interconnected at their upper and lower portions, the section or sections 2a, if more than one section is employed, being normally cut off from the radiation circulation. The water of the section or sections 2a is then made use of for some other purpose, as, for example, for heating the domestic water supply. For this purpose an indirect heater of conventional form is shown at 20 having its heating water supplied through the pipe 21 from the upper portion of the section 2a and delivering cooler water from its lower end to the lower portion of the section 2a through the pipe 22. At 25 is shown a domestic hot water storage tank which is connected to the inner pipes of the indirect heater 20 as through the pipes 26 and 2'7 in the usual manner. A pipe 28 may lead off to a suitable point of use of the water so heated. Cold Water may be supplied to the storage tank 25 as through the supply pipe 29. Since the boiler sections 2a are not included in the radiation circulation system the water therein under normal conditions becomes much hotter than the water in the boiler feeding to the radiation system since it is not subject to the cooling effect of the radiation system. Hence the water in these sections is normally of sufliciently high temperature to heat the water in the tank 25 to the desired point.

The water in the section or sections 2a may, however, become more highly heated than is desired for heating the domestic hot water supply. Provision is therefore made for relieving this excess temperature into the radiation system so that when the temperature reaches a desired high point, the water in the section or sections 2a comes more or less into the radiation circulation system. While various means might be employed a thermostatically controlled valve is illustrated at 30 in Figure 1 for this purpose. Details of this valve are shown in Figures 5 to 9. It comprises an outer casing 40 having a cylindrical wall member 42 dividing it into two chambers, an outer chamber 44 and an inner chamber 45. Both of these chambers have a common back wall 46 and their forward ends are normally closed by covers as will later appear. These chambers may communicate with each other through ports 47 and 48. The port 4'7 is controlled by a butterfiy valve 50 responsive to a thermostatic element shown at 51 positioned in the outer chamber 44. As shown this thermostatic element is fixed at one end as by the screw 52, partially surrounds the wall 42 andat its other end is fixed through a link 53 to a lever 54 fulcrumed on a pin 55. The opposite end. of this lever 55 is slotted as at 56 and riding in this slot is the cranked end 57 of the shaft 58 of the butterfly valve 50. The parts are so arranged that as the water in the outer casing 44 which is led thereintothrough a port 60 and pipe 61 threaded into the upper end of the section 2a reaches a desired high temperature, the valve 50 begins to open, thus relieving the water from the outer chamber 44 through port 47 past the valve 50 into the inner chamber 45 from which it passes through a port 65 through a pipe 66 to the pipe 16 of the radiation system.

The outer chamber 44 has its open end closed off by an annular plate '70 fixed to the outer edge of the casing 40 as by screws '71 and in order that the temperature at which the valve 50 will commence to open may be regulated, this plate '70 is provided with a stuinngbox at '72 to which is journaled a regulating shaft '73. This shaft carries a disk '74 on its inner end from which projects the fulcrum pin 55 eccentrically to the axis of the shaft '73. By rotation of this shaft '73, as by the handle 75, the position of the lever 54 and the length of the lever arm engagement with the crank arm 57 may be adjusted as desired. After the valve 50 has started to open it commences to open wider as the temperature in the boiler part to be relieved rises to a predetermined maximum when the valve is wide open. The disk '74 is held against the inner face of the plate '70 as by means of a retaining element '76 fixed thereto.

It is desirable not only that relief be had from the sections normally out of the circulation of the radiation system through the thermostatically controlled valve, but also, to provide for any abnormal heat conditions, to provide such relief by means of a fusible plug. Such a plug is normally interposed in the port 48 but in order that when this plug melts and relieves the water it can be replaced without disconnecting the piping or permitting escape of water, it is shown as carried in a port 80 of a tubular member 81 which is rotatable within the wall 42 so that it may be moved out of registry with the port 48 so as to cut oil this port 48 when the fusible plug is to be renewed. At the same time this member 81 is so designed that it closes off communication with the ports 4'7 and 65. To this end it is provided with ports 84 and 85 which when the port 80 is in registry with the ports 48 are in registrywith the ports 4'7 and 65 respectively. The port 85 is in the rear Wall portion 8'7 of the member 8l, these ports 85 and 65 being arranged eccentrically to the axis of the tubular inner chamber. This member 81 may be retained in the tubular chamber for rotation therein by means of the annular plate '70, the inner edge of which is shown as arranged in overlapping relation to a flange 90 at the outer margin of the member 81. A pin 91 projecting from the outer edge of this member 81 and riding within the central opening in the annular member '70 provides means by which the member 81 may be turned to bring its ports into or out of registry with the corresponding ports in the inner chamber wall. This inner chamber may be closed as by means of a plug 95 threaded into the member 81 and provided with any suitable means such as a squared head 96 by which it may be grasped and turned. Outwardly of the plug 95 the inner chamber is further closed by means of a circular cover plate 97 bridging the central opening of the plate '70 and secured as by means of bolts 98. Whenever the fusible plug melts and it is'desired to replace it, this may be done by removing the cover 97, turning the member 81 so as to bring its ports out of registry with the corresponding ports of the inner chamber and while the member 81 is in such angular position the plug 95 is removed and the fusible plug re placed. The plug 95 may then be replaced in position and the member 81 turned to bring its ports into registry with the corresponding casing ports whereupon the cover 9'7 may be replaced. It is evident that this replacement may thus be done without interfering with the piping connections and yet without permitting the escape of any material amount of water while the replacement is being eflected. The inner wall of the plate 97 maybe provided with a depression as at 99 to receive the end of the pin 91 and this may be so positioned that the cover 9'7 cannot be replaced until after the member 81 has been turned to its normal angular position with its ports in registry with the casing ports. Of course, if desired the depression might be sufliciently extensive to permit the member 81 to be adjusted to more or less throttle the ports to provide for further adjustment of the rate of relief to the radiation system than provided by thermostatic control of the valve 1 50. This prevents the possibility of parts from being returned to apparently normal position with the fusible plugin inoperative relation and the port 47 controlled by the valve 50 in inoperative condition being blanked by tht member 81.

In Figure 4 is shown a construction applicable to vertical type boilers provided with horizontal water-containing sections. Referring to this figure, it will be seen that a plurality of watercontaining sections such as 100, 101, 102, 103 are provided. Normally each of these sections is in communication through suitable openings in its horizontal walls with the sections above and below so that water may be circulated through all. For the purposes of the present invention, however, hollow thimbles such as 105 are placed in the openings 106'between two of the sections and are extended downward with reduced diameter portions through but out of contact with the inner walls of the nipples 107 which connect the two wall sections therebeneath. By this construction the upper end of the section 101 is out of communication with the lower portion of the section 100 while the lower portion of the section 101 is still in communication with the upper portion of the section 102. At the same time water in the section 102 is permitted to flow through the thimbles into the 'upper section 100. Piping connections fromthe top of the upper section 100 as at 108 lead to the radiation system and connections 109 to the lower portion of the section 103 permit the return flow from the radiation system to the. boiler. With this construction the sections 103, 102 and 100 are normally connected for the circulation with the radiation system, while the section 101 is out of such circulation being out of communication therewith at its upper end, although open thereto at its lower end. Water is taken from this section 101 to the indirect heater or other means for utilizing the heat from this section, a supply pipe being shown at 110 and a return pipe at 111. From the supply pipe 110 a pipe 112 is shown leading to the thermostatic valve -mechanism 30 from which relief may be had,

when the temperature of the water in the section 101 reaches a predetermined point, into the pipe 108 and thus into the radiation system, being similar in this respect to theconnections illustrated in Figure 1 for'the relief of water under relatively high temperature from the boiler section 2a. While as shown but a single section 101 is connected for supplying hot water to other than the radiation system, of course if desired, more than one section might be so employed by extending the thimbles 105 through the number of sections desired, it being understood that a boiler of this type may be built up of any number of horizontal sections desired. In either construction illustrated in Figures 1 to 3 and 4 it is possible to have the storage tank 25 supported from the floor, it being quite unnecessary as in certain systems heretofore devised to support the tank in elevated position to maintain proper circulation. This is often of distinct advantage in the installation of such systems.

From the foregoing description of certain embodiments of this invention, it should be evidentto those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications might be made without departing from the spirit or scope of this invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination, a boiler having a plurality of water-containing portions, independent means for normally separately utilizing heat from the water of said portions, a normally closed connection between said water-containing portions, and means acting when the temperature of the water in one of said portions reaches a predetermined point for opening said connection.

2. In combination, a hot water heating system having a hot water boiler, a radiation system normally connected with a portion only of said boiler for circulation of water through and between said system and portion, means for utilizing heat from the water in a second portion of said boiler, a normally closed connection between said portions, and means for opening said connection only when the water in the second portion is above a predetermined temperature.

3. In combination, a hot water heating system having a hot water boiler, a radiation system normally connected with a portion only of said boiler for circulation of water through and between said system and portion; means for utilizing heat from the water in a second portion of said boiler, a normally closed connection between said portions, and means opening said connection and for so maintaining it only when the water in the second portion is above a predetermined temperature.

4. In combination, a hot water heating system having a hot water boiler, a radiation system normally connected with a portion only of said boiler for circulation of water through and between said system and portion, heating means for said boiler, a thermostat responsive to the temperature of the space heated by said radiation system for controlling said heating means, means for utilizing heat from another portion of said boiler, a normally closed connection between said boiler portions, and a thermostat'responsive to the temperature of water in said other boiler portion for opening such connection to permit the water from said other portion to flow through said radiation system when and only as long as the water temperature in said other portion exceeds a predetermined point, to aid in heating said space. I i '5. In combination, a hot water system having a. hot water boiler, a radiation system normally connected with a portion only of said boiler for circulation of water through and between said system and portion, means for utilizing heat in another portion of said boiler, a normally closed connection between said portions, and means opening said connection at a predetermined temperature of the water in said other portion, and increasing said opening with increase of said temperature to a predetermined higher point.

6. In combination, a pair of water containers, a combustion chamber associated with both containers for heating water therein, a pair of connections between said containers at different elevations, one of said connections being normally 1 perature of the water in one of said systems for opening said connection when said water temperature reaches a predetermined point.

8. In combination, a hot water heating system comprising a hot water boilerhaving a series of horizontal water-containing sections, adjacent sections having normally registering openings for passage of water therebetween, a radiation system receiving relatively hot water from the upper portion of said boiler and delivering relatively cool water to the lower portion thereof, means for normally preventing circulation of -water from one of said sections through said radiating system, means for utilizing hot water from said section, and means actuable to include said section in the circulation of said radiating system when the water in said section is above a predetermined temperature.

9. In combination, a hot water heating system comprising a hot water boiler having aseries of horizontal water-containing sections, adjacent sections having normally registering openings for passage of water therebetween, the top section having a water outlet and the bottom section having a water inlet, a radiation system communicating with said inlet and outlet, one of said sections having a tubular thimble fitting each of its top openings and cutting off flow therefrom to the section above, said thimbles extending through the openings of the lower wall of said section and spaced inwardly from the edges of said openings to permit communication of water in said section and the section beneath, means for utilizing heat from the water in said one section, a normally closed connection between the upper portion of said one section and said circulating system including said radiating system, and means for opening said normally closed connection when the temperature of the water in said one section exceeds a predetermined point.

HENRY M. DE ROCHEMONT. 

